San Francisco, Oct 18 – Apple is all set to hold a launch event on Monday at 10 a.m. (Pacific Time) which will be its second fall event of the year.
According to The Verge, the Cupertino-based tech giant is expected to launch more powerful MacBook Pros, new AirPods as well as a Mac mini.
The upcoming MacBook Pro lineup will consist of a new 14-inch as well as a new 16-inch model powered by an M1X processor, likely paired with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage for the base variant.
The new MacBook Pro will feature a standard-sized notch. Instead of containing a Face ID TrueDepth camera like on the iPhone, the MacBook Pro’s notch apparently houses a 1080p webcam, a True Tone sensor, and a microphone.
Apple’s use of mini-LED panels in its forthcoming MacBook lineups will catalyse supplier investment and push the entire industry toward adoption of the display technology.
The iPhone maker may also launch a more powerful Mac mini, featuring the same processor found in the updated MacBook Pros and more ports than are currently available on the M1-powered Mini.
The new version of the AirPods Pro may come with motion sensors to enable better fitness tracking.
An image of the upcoming AirPods 3 reveals the earphones’ design which seems to be inspired by the Pro variant. It may come with a short stem and a sensor, as well as a microphone on the front.
Based on previous rumours, the new AirPods models are expected to feature a new design that resembles the shape of the current-generation AirPods Pro, notably featuring shorter stems on the earbuds themselves.
However, the AirPods 3 are not expected to feature active noise cancellation features — which will remain exclusive to AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, the report said.
The launch event will be live-streamed across Apple’s website, on the company’s YouTube channel, and via the Apple TV application on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.
Apple is planning to release a redesigned MacBook Pro line, consisting of a new 14-inch as well as a new 16-inch model powered by the Apple Silicon M1X on Monday and now a new report has claimed that the MacBook Pro models will come with a notched display.
The new MacBook Pro will feature a standard-sized notch. Instead of containing a Face ID TrueDepth camera like on the iPhone, the MacBook Pro’s notch apparently houses a 1080p webcam, a True Tone sensor, and a microphone, reports MacRumors.
The 2021 Apple MacBook Pro models will be powered by an M1X processor, likely paired with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage for the base variant.
As per the report, the new 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros will feature resolutions of 3024 by 1964 and 3456 by 2234.
According to industry sources, the shipments for LEDs and associated components to Apple assembly partners relating to the MacBook Pro models are on schedule as expected.
Apple’s use of mini-LED panels in its forthcoming MacBook lineups will catalyse supplier investment and push the entire industry toward adoption of the display technology.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple is already “actively looking for second suppliers of key Mini LED components”, and if its mini-LED notebooks receive positive feedback, other notebook makers and their suppliers will inevitably be pushed towards adoption of the technology.
Tech giant Apple has been the biggest profit and revenue generator in the handset business as it captured 75 per cent of the overall handset market operating profit in the second quarter of 2021.
According to market research firm Counterpoint, Apple also captured 40 per cent of the revenue despite contributing a relatively moderate 13 per cent to global handset shipments.
“While this performance shows the power of the Apple brand, it is still lower than the peak of Q4 2020 when its revenue share reached a staggering 50 per cent, up from 28 per cent in Q3 2020, and its profit share reached an unprecedented 86 per cent, up from 51 per cent in the previous quarter,” the firm said.
“While there was a significant jump in its shipment share, from 9 per cent to 17 per cent in the same period, the extent of its revenue share reflects the success of its first 5G-enabled iPhone series,” it added.
Samsung, the biggest global smartphone vendor in terms of annual shipments, usually follows Apple in revenue and profit share.
There have been two instances when Samsung has failed to generate the second-highest revenue share — Q4 2019 and Q2 2020 — when Huawei reached the number two spot.
In terms of profit, however, Samsung has consistently been the number two player for the past several quarters, the report said.
Despite relative stability at the top, a major shift in recent quarters was caused by Huawei’s decline following the imposition of US sanctions against it.
Huawei’s fall has been accompanied by the rise of other Chinese OEMs, particularly Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo, which were the biggest revenue generators respectively after Apple and Samsung in Q2 2021.
While Xiaomi has done very well in terms of shipments, its performance from a profit point of view has not been as strong.
“This is because Xiaomi has been focusing on excelling in the shipments game in the past few years,” according to the market research firm.
With its recently launched Mi Mix Fold, Xiaomi also entered the ultra-premium foldable phone segment, so far dominated by Samsung.
Its other recently launched high-ASP models include the Mi 11i and Mi 11X Pro. However, their relative shipment performance has significant room for improvement, especially when compared with Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S21 series.